National Hockey League (NHL)
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Top 10 Utah Hockey Club Moments From Inaugural NHL Season

SALT LAKE CITY – As Utah fans learn how to cope without their beloved boys taking the ice again until the fall, let’s reflect on the top 10 moments from the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season.

Top 10 Utah Hockey Club Moments

Whether it was anxiety ridden OT winners, incredible performances from Karel Vejmelka between the pipes, a drop of the gloves by Spicy Tuna, or brilliance from the captain, the first season in Utah was an incredible success overflowing with unforgettable moments.

The following is a list of the top 10 moments from the Utah Hockey Club’s first season in Salt Lake City.

10. Keller made his Four Nations snub personal after setting a new career-high against the Wild

After the initial snub from the USA’s Four Nations roster earlier in the season, it only became more obvious that Bill Guerin (Minnesota Wild General Manager who oversaw the construction of USA’s Four Nations roster) made a massive mistake by excluding Clayton Keller.

By the end of the season, Utah’s captain finished with more points (90) than 11 of the 13 forwards Guerin selected.

Amidst a career year for No. 9 in Utah, Keller erupted for a career-best five points in a single game against Minnesota as Guerin looked on from level six of Delta Center.

9. Jaxson Stauber records the first shutout in Utah Hockey Club history

After being called up by the Utah Hockey Club to backup Karel Vejmelka, goaltender Jaxson Stauber made history with the first-ever shutout in franchise history.

“The entire game I thought I did a good job of staying in that moment and not looking too far ahead to that result,” Stauber told KSL Sports.

“It takes a lot of things to go your way…the guys played well in front. It’s a whole team effort, not just a goalie.”

Despite just a handful of NHL starts throughout his career, Stauber rose to the occasion, made key saves and posted a giant goose egg against the offensive juggernaut, Vegas Golden Knights.

8. Liam O’Brien hypes the crowd with blood streaming down his face

Liam O’Brien was nearly perfect in his role for the Utah Hockey Club this season as he entered the lineup when called upon, provided contagious energy and dropped the gloves on multiple occasions.

Against the St. Louis Blues, Tuna was feeling a little spicier than usual as he challenged defenseman Tyler Tucker, landed a few blows, hyped the crowd and with blood streaming down his face, effectively shifted the energy in favor of his team.

From that point, Utah scored three unanswered goals and eventually defeated St. Louis 4-2.

7. Mikhail Sergachev bullies Canadiens and scores OT winner for Utah Hockey Club

I would be remiss if I didn’t feature Mikhail “Bullychev” on this list as it was genuinely an honor to watch him transform into a primary leader and enforcer for the Utah Hockey Club this season.

As one of several instances where Sergachev simply bullied the other team, No. 98 trolled Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher with a comical fake punch that made him flinch.

Sergachev then punished the team who originally drafted with a clutch OT winner to help Utah secure two points on the road.

6. Captain Keller leads Utah Hockey Club to victory over Jets after taking a puck up high

As one of the most endearing moments from Utah’s inaugural season, captain Keller truly earned the “C” against the Winnipeg Jets as he led his team to victory following a nasty head injury.

After catching a puck up high near his eye and receiving 12 stiches, Keller then returned to a standing ovation from Delta Center as he refused to call it a night.

Despite a swollen eye, Keller fearlessly attacked the net on his first shift back and helped Utah light the lamp to open the scoring.

Hockey culture is just different, and Keller embodied every ounce of that as he captured the full allegiance of Utah’s fanbase.

5. Clayton Keller silences MSG with OT winner on Rangers opening night

The best show in town wasn’t on Broadway on October 12, but rather at Madisan Square Garden as the Utah Hockey Club played their first game against the New York Rangers.

Full of theatrics, the matchup included 11 goals, several fights, a plethora of penalties, and an intense OT period.

After recognizing the Rangers poor positioning in front of their own net, Keller rounded the post with the puck on his stick and quickly went forehand-backhand to beat Igor Shesterkin up high.

Continuing their momentum from opening night, Utah remained a perfect 3-0 and sent Rangers fans home with a shocking loss as one could hear a pin drop inside MSG.

4. Sergachev’s OT winner against Vancouver

Despite trailing the Vancouver Canucks 2-0 early in the third period in December, the Utah Hockey Club managed to tie the game late and forced overtime on home ice.

Following a thunderous collection of “U-TAH” chants from 16,000+ inside Delta Center, Sergachev registered the game winner in OT with just 12 seconds left on the clock.

As Keller leapt into the arms of No. 98, all of Utah resonated with his actions as he accurately demonstrated how the entire fanbase currently felt towards the OT hero.

3. Karel Vejmelka wins over Utah with 49 saves against Carolina Hurricanes

A special bond was forged between goaltender Karel Vejmelka and the Utah fanbase in mid-November after the beloved netminder posted a career-best 49 saves on 50 shots against Carolina.

After every one of his magnificent saves, Vejmelka was serenaded with chants of “Veggie! Veggie! Veggie!” throughout Delta Center.

“It’s unreal. This is a moment to remember for sure. This is a night to remember for me and for everybody. This is a huge game for us. Big two points,” Vejmelka said postgame.

For a relatively reserved and quiet guy, Vejmelka showed what that night meant to him as he hyped the crowd with a palpable emotion that forever connected him to the fanbase.

2. Dylan Guenther’s buzzer beater over the Flyers

While Utah Jazz have had their fair share of shots to beat the clock inside Delta Center, Dylan Guenther introduced fans to their first true hockey buzzer beater against the Philadelphia Flyers.

With the puck at center ice and less than 4 seconds left in OT, Guenther burst into the offensive zone, let a wicked wrister fly and beat Samuel Ersson just as the clock hit zero to send the arena into a frenzy.

1. Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural game

The eyes of the hockey world descended upon Salt Lake City on October 8, 2024, and the Utah Hockey Club put on a show with a collection of festivities for the inaugural game.

From start to finish, the inaugural game was one big party that featured a live performance from Shaboozey, appearances from hockey legends, a blue carpet welcome for the players, the first goal in franchise history and a win over the Blackhawks to begin Utah’s history.

Without question, the first game truly had it all.

Next For The Utah Hockey Club

Following the conclusion of the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season, the next notable event will be the NHL Draft on June 27 and 28.

Cole Bagley is the Utah Hockey Club insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.

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